Russia’s national drink is TEA (not vodka)!

Today, there is a huge variety of tea available in restaurants, cafes and homes in Russia; black, green, red, fruity, herbal, as well as countless sophisticated mixes and blends.

Overall, Russians prefer simple black tea on its own or with lemon and sugar. You can see a Russian babushka biting on a cube of sugar while drinking tea. It’s called ‘vprikusku’ and means a ‘pre-snack’. 

A variety of jams are also often served, as well as honey. Tea is what keeps you warm through the cold season and a great way to socialize and eat sweet things. Going “for tea” to a Russian house, guests should always take something sweet (such as a cake or some biscuits). 

Actually, in the Soviet past, people did not drink coffee much (as it was very expensive in those days), but a cup of tea and a cheese or ham sandwich was a meal in itself. 

In villages, they would drink tea from a ‘samovar’ kettle. The process would take hours, during which they’d drink up to 10 liters between one family, using cups and saucers, even pouring tea into saucers and drinking straight from there.

And did you know that Russians had a modern trendy kombucha drink long before it became trendy and mainstream? We just called it ‘chainoy grib’ (‘tea mushroom’) and “grew” it in a big jar on the windowsill (it didn't look very appealing!). It’s actually a combination of yeast and bacteria mixed with sweet tea. And it’s known to be very healthy.